A' Design Award in Education, Teaching Aid and Training Content Design Goes to Cohesion Board Game by Chan Wing Ki

The Work

Project

Cohesion Board Game

Function

Board Game

Category

Education, Teaching Aid and Training Content Design

Discipline

Service Design

Industry

Education

Colors

Steel Blue, Khaki, Sandy Brown, Midnight Blue and White Smoke

Images

5

Client

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The Recognition

Laureate

Chan Wing Ki

Country

Hong Kong (China)

Recognition

A' Design Award

Edition

2024 - 2025

Design ID

#164053

Credits

Image Credits

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Design Details

Unique Properties

Cohesion is a cooperative fast reaction board game designed for educating the families who are facing negative relationships. Players must work together, utilizing different family values like appreciation, harmony, discipline, and warmth, to overcome conflicts and maintain family solidarity. Through communication and collaboration, the game teaches players how to deal with real-life problems in a constructive and positive manner.

Inspiration

The pandemic has led to extended periods of time spent at home with family, resulting in an increase in family conflicts. This rise in conflicts can be attributed to more frequent communication, differing interests, and inconsistent views and opinions on various matters. Interestingly, many of these conflicts often begin with positive intentions but can end in negative feelings. My board game design aims to address these dynamics by encouraging open communication and understanding.

Research

Research Background The shift from large, interconnected extended families to smaller, detached nuclear families has led to increased instability for families and negative impacts on children. David Brooks (2020) notes that while life has become freer for individuals, it has also resulted in heightened family conflicts. Family conflict refers to active opposition between family members and can arise from struggles over values, scarce resources, and differing interests. Cooperation is essential for maintaining healthy family dynamics, yet competition often overshadows it. Methods The design of the board game focuses on fostering cooperation among family members to address conflicts.

Challenge

Developing "Cohesion" presented the challenge of balancing engaging gameplay with meaningful lessons on family dynamics. Ensuring that the game effectively promoted cooperation over competition required extensive research into family values and conflict resolution techniques. One significant obstacle was addressing the diverse communication styles within families, as seen in Millie's case, where misunderstandings arose. By incorporating feedback from family wellness studies and iterative playtesting, I refined mechanics to foster appreciation and collaboration, ultimately enhancing family connections.

Realization and Technology

The design of "Cohesion" involved a thoughtful process combining research and creative methodologies. I utilized card-based mechanics to encourage interaction, with 4 character cards, 52 value cards, and 26 event cards designed to represent core family values. The 17 conflict cards introduce real-life challenges, fostering discussion and resolution. The board and acrylic tiles were crafted with precision to enhance the visual appeal. Iterative playtesting helped refine gameplay mechanics, ensuring a balance between fun and meaningful engagement.

Operation and Interaction

At the start of the game, each player draws a role card indicating how many base cards they need to hold. Players then draw two conflict cards, replacing any eliminated card with a new one to maintain two on the board. The game is turn-based; if a player lacks the necessary cards to resolve conflicts, they must discard and draw a new card. Players can’t show their cards but must communicate about them. They use event cards to gather required value cards to eliminate conflicts. Players must do this before the hourglass runs out to score family cohesion levels.

Project Duration and Location

The project started in December 2022 in Hong Kong and finished in June 2023 in Hong Kong, and was exhibited in Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre in June 2023.

Specifications

The board game includes one box package(22cm x 16cm), 4 character cards(8.5cm x 5.5cm), 52 values cards(8.5cm x 5.5cm), 26 event card(8.5cm x 5.5cm), 17 conflict cards(8.5cm x 5.5cm),1 hourglass, 1 map(29.7 cm x 42 cm), 52 acrylic value tiles (3cm x 3cm).

Keywords

Board Game, Family conflicts, Team Building, Family Dynamics, Conflict Resolution, Cooperation, Communication Skills, Positive Relationships